by Kay Edwards
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Darby and Misty had the living room to themselves. Rachel was tucked into her bed, and the moms all were in the family room getting to know each other. Darby smiled as she pulled out two bags of candy. “Look what I smuggled here. If Grant found out he would be so upset.”
Misty took a sip of her soda. “I never drink this stuff. It is just too darn good to stop at one.”
Hearing door open Darby raised an eyebrow as she and Misty both started to hide the candy. “I guess you are lectured about it too?”
Putting her soda behind her back, Misty giggled. “I know I will regret it in the morning.”
Terry walked out and smiled at the younger women. “Are you two having fun?”
Darby smiled. “We are finding things we have in common.”
Misty snorted and then agreed. “We are enjoying ourselves.”
Terry gave them each a suspicious look and then headed into the kitchen. Darby was just getting ready to pull out her bag of candy, but Misty stopped her. “She is on to us.”
A second later Terry came back into the room briskly. You could tell she wanted to catch them doing something. Darby smiled. “Are you ok?”
Terry shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I thought... Well never mind you two have fun.”
They watched her walk down the hall. Misty looked at Darby. “Mom Adams will be next.”
The two women kept their stash behind them. Darby was just getting ready to pull hers out when she saw a shadow move. “Don’t mind me you two…I'm just getting a drink of water.”
Misty smiled sweetly. “You take your time. Darby and I are just educating each other on our families.”
“Well that’s nice dear,” Liz said as she walked into the kitchen.
Darby looked at Misty. “I didn’t even hear her come out.”
Misty nodded. “She is stealthy. Brent was like that. He would scare the jeepers right out of me.”
Darby smiled at her. “I’m glad you had time with him. I was talking to his mom. He sounds like he was a very gentle man.”
Misty smiled. “It still hurts in a way. Not as much as it did but still…”
Darby looked at her. “You would have given him your forever. That is something that you will never forget.”
Misty nodded. She looked up and saw Liz standing in the doorway. The older woman smiled at Misty gently. “He would have enjoyed knowing this family.”
The two watched her walk back the hall. Darby smiled as she pulled out her bag of candy. “I almost feel guilty for eating this. When she tells them what we were talking about they will leave us alone.”
Misty chuckled. “I didn’t even think about that.”
Darby got up and walked to the kitchen when she came back out she had two more root beers. Grinning she said. “If we are going to do this we need to do it right.”
Misty held her already open one up to her mouth. “See who can drink these faster?”
Darby sat down beside her. Misty watched her open her second one and get it ready. “I say we see who can drink two the fastest.”
For the next hour, the two women let themselves be kids again. The more sugar they consumed, the louder they got. They laughed and giggled like teenagers. When they looked up and saw all of the moms watching them from the doorway, they laughed some more.
Terry looked at her daughter. “You know you are going to be sick in the morning? I knew you two were up to something. Where did all of this candy and soda come from?”
Darby snorted as she laughed. “I smuggled it in. The second I knew Grant and Brayden were going to be gone I knew I had to.”
Jeanie shook her head. “He is going to find out about this. You are still going to be sick when he and Brayden get back tomorrow. He will guess.”
Darby winked at Misty. “It will be ok. I happen to know he is kind of sweet on me. A couple of kisses and everything will be all right.”
Liz bent down and picked up three empty candy bags. She looked at the women and grimaced. “You two ate all of this?”
Misty chuckled and then hiccupped. “We did. I think Darby had a bit more than me. I was enjoying the root beer.”
Darby had to agree. “She drank four of them. Of course, the first two were for competition purposes.”
Terry watched Misty yawn and knew the crash was coming. She laughed at her. “You are going to be a mess in the morning.”
Jeanie looked at the two women. She joined Terry in laughter. “Well, at least we know that these two should never be left alone together.”
Liz chuckled as well. She shook her said and went to Dalton’s phrase. “Please let Rachel take after her father.”
Jeanie busted out laughing. “Amen!”
Misty grinned at the women and then stood up. She started for the kitchen. “Anyone want a root beer?’
Terry ran after her daughter. “You have had more than enough.”
Darby protested from the floor. “She is going to be married soon. Let her have some fun.” She giggled and snorted as she stood up.
Jeanie laughed. “You two are tired and hyped up on sugar. The pair of you are acting like little drunks.”
Misty walked over to her future mother in law. Putting her arm around her shoulders, she said. “Your son has put an end to my dangerous side. I think you should talk my mom into letting me have one more.”
Jeanie looked at Misty. She looked at Terry. “Maybe one more is ok. They are already feeling the rush now.”
Terry shook her head and laughed. “OK, but we do not tell Dalton about this.”
Darby reached down into her bag. She pulled out five more bags of candy. “You three can join us, and we won’t tell anyone.”
Liz absolutely loved chocolate. “I’m in,” she said surprising the other women.
Terry looked at the chocolate covered caramels. She gave Misty a little shove toward the kitchen. “I’ll take one of those root beers.”
Jeanie laughed. “Darby gets her sweet tooth from me. I was in the second Liz caved.”
Liz walked down the hall and closed all of the doors but Misty’s door. She wanted to make sure they could all hear Rachel if she needed them. She made sure the monitor was on and walked back out to the living room.
Sitting down on the floor beside Jeanie she giggled. “I can see the appeal of doing this. I feel sixteen.”
Jeanie agreed. “I agree. It is fun to let loose sometimes. My practical son would be appalled.”
Darby chuckled. “He takes after Father Kyle that way.”
Liz looked at Darby surprised. “You call him Father?”
Darby nodded. “He may not have been there, but with Poppy and Granny in the picture, we were very much raised in a way Father Kyle would have wanted. It would not have been fair if only Dalton got to know him.”
Liz popped some chocolate in her mouth and started thinking. She was deep in thought when Jeanie spoke.
“How do you feel about Misty and Dalton’s other children calling Brent that?” Jeanie grinned as she asked her question.
Liz looked at Misty. “I guess I was not sure how it would be. I guess with Dalton I am going to be able to have more grandchildren. I think I love them even though they don’t exist yet.”
Jeanie looked at her new friend. “Of course, when they visit us in Tennessee you will need to come. You can’t leave Brayden out.”
Liz looked surprised. She looked at Darby. Darby smiled. “It is only fair. He has already asked me if he could call you and Dad Adams Nana and Pap. He wants to call Mom and Dad Bishop Mimi and Pops.”
Liz had tears in her eyes. “I would be honored.”
Terry smiled. “She is right. It would be an honor. I am still in awe of God’s divine intervention.”
Darby smiled at everyone. “Now that we got all the mushy stuff out of the way I say we take this slumber party to the
next level.”
The next few hours were a blast. Each of the ladies ate way too much candy and drank way too much soda. They were all giggling and snorting as they told stories. When Liz got up and went to the piano, they all sang crazy campfire songs. They were all off key and having a blast. As their sugar rushes left each of them slept where they crashed. It was a fun night that would be remembered fondly. The next morning not so much…
